A PAIR OF BROWN LEATHER 'ANIMAL TOE' LACE UP HEELED 'TRAINER' SHOES

Approaching the theatrical, designs such as the Animal Toe shoes have become symbolic of the house, sublimating their purely functional role. The animal toe motif first appeared in the ‘Summertime’ collection of Spring-Summer 2000, which looked to the symbolism of Bacchus, the Roman god of agriculture, wine and fertility. 'Bestial shoes bore the imprint of animal toes' notes Alexander Fury, in Vivienne Westwood Catwalk, p.428. These revealed a likeness to fauns or even the lion’s paw of a mythical creature. There is a sexual tension between the shoes and the body beneath, as the foot appears to press its imprint into the leather (‘Westwood Heritage: Animal Toe’, Vivienne Westwood Heritage, www.viviennewestwood.com).